Egypt reopens Rafah crossing after a week

Egyptian authorities have tightened control over the border with Gaza since the army's July 3 ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Africa

02 Kasım 2013 Cumartesi 13:43

World Bulletin/News Desk

Egyptian authorities reopened Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday following a week-long closure.

"The terminal was reopened on Saturday and people began to cross on both directions," a well-placed source at the crossing told Anadolu Agency.

Egypt closed Rafah crossing, Gaza's only gateway to the outside world that surpasses Israel, last Saturday.

Egyptian authorities have tightened control over the border with Hamas-ruled Gaza since the army's July 3 ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi.

The Egyptian army has also launched a wide-range campaign to destroy the network of underground tunnels linking Gaza to Egypt, which in recent years have been used to smuggle vital commodities into the coastal enclave.